Herb Kohl, former US senator and owner of Milwaukee Bucks, has died. He was 88

Herb Kohl, a Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin and owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has died, an email from his foundation said Wednesday

MILWAUKEE — Herb Kohl, a former Democratic U.S. senator from Wisconsin and former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, has died, an email from his foundation said Wednesday. He was 88.

Kohl was a popular figure in Wisconsin, purchasing the Bucks to keep them from leaving town, and spending generously from his fortune on civic and educational causes throughout the state. He also used his money to fund his Senate races, allowing to him to portray himself as “nobody’s senator but yours.”

In the Senate, a body renowned for egos, Kohl was an unusual figure. He was quiet and not one to seek credit, yet effective on issues important to the state, especially dairy policy. He was one of the richest members of the Senate, and the Senate’s only professional sports team owner.